Udell Looking to Bookend PWC GT Rookie Season

Sonoma, California | Alec Udell opened the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) season with a pair of GTA class victories in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports by GMG Porsche 911 GT3 R. This weekend the resident of The Woodlands, Texas travels to Sonoma Raceway in California to attempt to bookend the season with two more wins in the Sprint Championship of North America’s premier sprint format GT racing series. Udell is currently seventh in the PWC GT Sprint Championship Driver point standings entering the final two races of the 10-round season. While a title in his rookie season is out of his grasp, a top-five finish is well within the Texan’s reach, a top-three season-long finish is a possibility.

The Clemson University mechanical engineering major is more than familiar and comfortable on the technical 2.385-mile, 12-turn track in the heart of California wine country. A year ago, Udell clinched his first PWC Championship, a GT Cup class title, with victories in both races run at Sonoma Raceway. That allowed him to forgo the final rounds and make his GT class debut at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca driving a Euroworld Motorsports-backed GMG-prepared Porsche 911 GT3 R. He finished in sixth-place in both rounds. That gave the now 21 year-old the foundations to travel to the opening rounds of the 2017 championship driving the same car. Udell showed his speed and racecraft driving to wins on both days at St. Petersburg, Florida. PWC officials then deemed Udell ready to be moved-up to full GT Pro racing where he has fought with factory drivers and international championship-winners ever since. In the most recent Sprint race run at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Udell took his first career professional podium finish.

Udell, who has spent his time between the Clemson campus in South Carolina, testing and racing will run his first 30-minute Sonoma practice session at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on Friday, September 15. A second session will follow that afternoon from 3:35 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. Qualifying will be spread over 45-minutes for all classes at 10:00 a.m. the following morning on Saturday, September 16. Round 9 of the season will take the green flag at 2:15 p.m. and run 50-minutes. The final GT race of the season, Round 10, will start its 50-minute clock at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 17.

The races can be watched live at www.world-challenge.com and on same day broadcast on the CBS Sports Network, Sunday September 17 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

Alec Udell |
about Sonoma|
“I’m entering this weekend with the same ferocity that I started the season with. We’ve had quite a great year in the Euroworld Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R and have good momentum on our side from the last Sprint round at Mid-Ohio. I cannot believe the season has come to a close so quickly. I’m excited for how the year has gone so far and look forward to this weekend. We have some exciting plans for next year… stay tuned!”

about Alec Udell |
Alec Udell is a junior studying engineering at Clemson University. The 21 year-old from The Woodlands, Texas began his racing career in karting at age five. He went on to win the Rotax National Points Championship in 2008 and represented his country as part of Team USA in Egypt in the World Championships in 2009. By 2011, he made history by becoming, at the time, the Pirelli World Challenge’s youngest ever competitor at age 15. He has 15 career Pirelli World Challenge GT Cup class wins entering the season and is the 2016 PWC GT Cup Champion.

about Euroworld Motorsports |
2017 is the third season Udell partners with Euroworld Motorsports (www.euroworldmotorsports.com). Euroworld is the country’s only certified automotive carbon fiber repair facility. Based in Houston, they are one of Texas’s leading European auto repair and performance facility.